The present invention pertains to amusement slides, particularly water slides.
In known water slides, a user typically coasts along a slippery surface from a higher elevation to a lower elevation, either in a straight line path or a path that includes curves. A water slide may take the form of a flume in which a large volume of water is introduced at the entry for lubricating the surface of the slide and for assisting in moving the user along the flume, and/or one or more sections that are misted with water to maintain the slippery characteristic of the slide surface. Sometimes the user will sit or lie on a mat or ride in a vehicle designed to coast along a predefined route. Water slides typically terminate at an exit pool.
The present invention provides an amusement device in the nature of a slide having a long predetermined path along its length from a high elevation at a first end portion thereof to a lower elevation at a second end portion thereof. The slide has a rider entrance between the first and second end portions and at an elevation below the high elevation. A rider is introduced through the entrance in a direction toward the first end portion such that the rider slides upward toward the first end portion while decelerating, followed by sliding travel of the rider along the predetermined path from the first end portion to the second end portion.